EXOTIC CUISINE

Some of the primordial ingredients of the prehispanic cuisine like insects, crustaceans and edible reptiles, are today essential elements in the elaboration of exquisite and traditional Mexican food. Tacos, dishes and quesadillas (stuffed tortillas) are typical dishes where these ingredients are used and visitors can enjoy them ?and accompany them with a cold beer-  just about everywhere from street markets to high-quality restaurants.

In the states of Mexico, Hidalgo and Oaxaca and in Mexico City you should taste the maguey worms which are wrapped in a mixiote (a fleshy maguey leaf) and then barbequed or just roasted directly on a hot pan until they become slightly golden and crispy. The chimicuil is another type of worm -easily recognizable for its pink color- which also grows up inside the maguey leaf and which is used to make delicious sauces after being fried. It is worth mentioning that in the state of Oaxaca these small animals are also known as chilocuiles or "salt worms" and in Veracruz they are recognized by the name belatobe. The "worm salt" that accompanies the delicious beverage called mescal, is elaborated precisely with those worms.

In the centric regions of Mexico you will be able to try the unusual fly eggs, locally known as ahuautli. It is said that their flavor is very similar to that of caviar. They are served crushed and cooked with eggs in a form of small cakes which are seasoned with chili stock and then accompanied by tortillas.

The chapulines (grasshoppers) are another famous delicatessen that can be found in the states of Oaxaca, Puebla, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, Morelos and Guerrero. You will find them inside tacos, seasoned with lime and salt, inside quesadillas or as a simple snack. The same preparation method is used with jumiles (small beetles), which are particularly tasty in Taxco (in the state of Guerrero) where every year in the beginning of November they have a local celebration called the Day of Jumil. These insects you can as well find in Morelos, Oaxaca and Tlaxcala where it is very common to prepare them in mouth-watering tomato and chili sauces or toast them with lime and salt.

The escamoles, more commonly known as ant eggs, are another highly valued delicacy. These small eggs are normally fried in butter so as to enhance their delicate savor. To find the tastiest ant eggs in the country, go to Mexico City, to the state of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Nuevo Leon or Michoacan! The big and red chicatana ants (which in Chiapas are known as nukú or tizim) are ground in molcajates (a stone container that serves for grinding) with chilies, salt and water to make a sauce which in Huatusco in Veracruz is called "tlatonile". This sauce is very commonly consumed in Oaxaca too and especially in the month of June when San Juan (Saint John) is celebrated.

There are also many other exotic species you can savor in Mexico, such as the acocil, a shrimp-like crustacean that abounds the waters in the central region of the country and is eaten in tacos, with avocado and coriander. The iguana is a reptile that is normally cooked in stock with tomatoes and chilies in the southern parts of Mexico. Armadillo, on the other hand, is a mammal whose marinated meat is highly appreciated in the southeastern region. In Yucatan armadillo meat is known as huech-luum and it is elaborated with achiote (a red-colored contiment), wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in pibil, a Yucatecan pit barbeque. Armadillos are also eaten in Guerrero and in Santiago Tuxtla in Veracruz but in these places the meat is seasoned with an herb called "holy leaf". If armadillo does not suite your taste, in some of the regions in the north you can find roasted rattlesnake meat accompanied by spicy sauces!

Do not lose the opportunity to enjoy this culinary experience. The only thing you will need is the desire to feel new savors, textures and colors on your tongue!